This invention relates to a vehicle inspection and maintenance system, and more particularly, the invention relates to a vehicle inspection and maintenance system for use with a portable handheld computing device.
Vehicles are typically serviced in a wide variety of locations. In particular, commercial vehicles may be serviced in locations across the country as the vehicle carries goods between destinations. Detailed records of the service on the performed vehicle are typically kept at each of the service locations. Although xe2x80x9chard copiesxe2x80x9d of the service information also may be kept with the vehicle, it may be difficult to gather and quickly analyze the service data at a later date. When the vehicle encounters a problem requiring service to the vehicle, reference must be made to the past vehicle service history and warranty data relating to the particular vehicle. This information is necessary for the technician or service representative to make a decision on how best to service the vehicle, and whether the service is covered by the vehicle""s warranty. If the vehicle is in a remote location when it is in need of service, having hard copies of the service history of the vehicle may make it difficult to relay that information to a technician. Furthermore, the vehicle warranty information may not be readily available or easy to locate.
Commercial vehicles are inspected on regular intervals to ensure that the vehicle is receiving the proper service to maintain the vehicle. Inspection systems have been proposed, which prompt the inspector through the inspection of the various vehicle systems. The inspection systems may be portable to facilitate inspection of exterior vehicle systems. If the inspector encounters a problem with the inspection or lacks knowledge on how to properly complete the inspection, information may not be readily available to the inspector to properly carry out the inspection. Moreover, if a problem is encountered during the inspection, at least a temporary fix of the vehicle system may be necessary to operate the vehicle until it may be fully serviced. This is particularly true if the vehicle is in a location that is distant from a service station. Therefore, what is needed is a vehicle inspection and maintenance system that may be conveniently used with a portable handheld computing device.
The present invention provides a method and system for inspecting and maintaining a vehicle. In one embodiment, the present invention provides a method and system of capturing vehicle data including the steps of servicing a vehicle at a location corresponding to service data. That is, service data is generating while servicing the vehicle at the location. Service data is input into a portable handheld computing device and transferred from the portable handheld computing device to a vehicle onboard computer. Vehicle warranty data is provided on the vehicle onboard computer. The service data and the vehicle warranty data are retrieved from the vehicle onboard computer. The service data and vehicle warranty data may be transmitted directly from the vehicle onboard computer or may first be transferred to the portable handheld computing device and then subsequently transferred. The data may be sent to a remote location by a wireless transmission or by a removable electrical connection between the portable handheld computing device and the remote location.
In another embodiment of the present invention, a method and system of inspecting a vehicle includes communicating with the vehicle systems using a portable handheld computing device to automatically inspect the vehicle systems. Prompts are displayed on the portable handheld computing device to guide a vehicle inspector to inspect additional vehicle systems. A help option is displayed on the portable handheld computing device associated with one of the additional vehicle systems. Selecting the help option displays instructions related to the vehicle system, such as how to inspect the system and how to fix the system if any problems are encountered. Vehicle system status may be stored on the portable handheld computing device.
Accordingly, the above invention provides a vehicle inspection and maintenance system that may be conveniently used with a portable handheld computing device.